The Challenge


Welcome to Spring! Showers, showers everywhere with tornados and some lightning to boot! I am on perpetual "Weather Watch" this week in an effort to be ready to roll if the lights go out on any of our midwest LRF locations. What a crazy week for weather! Mother nature is in full swing.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about Value Vs. Price, and in that article I spoke about how I need to find value in the products and services I purchase in order to stay with those companies. What I like about my company is that we have a ton of value for the price we charge for our products and services.

I realize that not all of our customers see the value that I do. That bums me out because we have so much to offer our customers. I was talking to my neighbor Joe in our cul-de-sac last weekend, and he was not aware of SignalSaver. He has the right equipment at home, but did not have an internet connection to his DVR. Well, he does now, and now has SignalSaver! He also wasn't aware that if he ordered HBO with his DIRECTV subscription he would also get the MAX app at no additional charge. Of course you know I just had to bring up our new Gemini set top box and all of it's great features!

In my extensive travels across this great country I have written about The Dilemma that I see in hotels that have DIRECTV's commercial service in their public areas and don't know that it can be a huge revenue generator for their bar/restaurant. Please click HERE to read that article. This column starts where that column ends.

I wish I could visit with each and every one of our customers and personally show them the value of DIRECTV with a remote, set top box and a Tele. You and I both know that I just can't. I am trying though, one customer at a time.  I have been trying for over two years. Thanks to the DIRECTVforBUSINESS Marketing team I have also been passing out channel guides to our commercial customers who want them for over a year. I'm showing our customers how to use QuickTune to program their STB's to the most watched channels to keep customers in their chairs watching our programming and spending money. I am showing our business customers where they can access Thursday Night NFL Football from Amazon Prime on DIRECTV (Channel 9550) as well as the NFL Sunday Ticket.

I'm pretty sure that I visit 150-200 of our customers annually.  Averaging 2-3 commercial customer visits a week (Yes, some of the same customers over and over) and I do my best to spread the word about the company that I am so proud of.  I can't help but imagine (Ok, bear with me here...) what if there were 10 people out there just like me, simply saying "Thanks for being a DIRECTV customer", showing appreciation for our customers and educating them on our products and services if they ask. All the sudden 200 customer contacts becomes 2000. If 100 people were out there 2000 contacts becomes 20,000! I can do this math all day. I love the potential!

With that said, I do hereby issue THE CHALLENGE! 

Do you go out to eat? Once a month maybe? Please download our DIRECTV Sports Bar Finder App on your mobile phone. Open the app and put in your zip code. You will see a map of all DIRECTV Commercial bars and restaurants in your area. Pick one of THESE establishments and enjoy your night out. When you are paying the bill, ask for the manager and tell them you found their establishment on our app. Tell them you are a DIRECTV Team member and thank them for being a customer.

Are you going on vacation this summer? Work trip maybe? Staying in a hotel? Use the same DIRECTV Sports Bar Finder App and search your travel destination in conjunction with Concur or your favorite personal travel booking app. If your hotel has a restaurant and is a #DIRECTVforBUSINESS customer, they will pop up on the app.  Stay at that hotel and when you check in, tell them you picked THEIR hotel because they are a DIRECTV Customer.

~MOST IMPORTANTLY~ 

If by chance you meet a customer and they have an issue with their account or service, ANY issue at all, let's resolve that. It's easier than you think. Residential customers call 800-DIRECTV.  Commercial customers call 888-388-4249. For commercial customers, the manager needs to call with their account number. Our amazing CSR's will then route their call directly to the dealer who can help them. You will be surprised at how many of our commercial customers simply do not know who to call if they have an issue. 

UPDATE: 5/16/2024 - We now have a commercial number available specifically for DIRECTV Employees to call if we are ever at a commercial establishment with a service related issue.  Just call 844-452-8028. Our team will help you determine who the responsible dealer is and escalate repair steps. 

I have our commercial telephone number printed on my business card. I pass it out to every commercial customer I meet and make sure they know that’s the number they can call for help.  I also tell them if the “888” number can’t help them then call me, and I will…

I believe that happy customers don't cancel their services. I also believe that if our customers know that we genuinely care about them that weighs on their decision to renew a contract. You never know, one customer interaction make all the difference on whether they continue on with our service. I know first hand that customer contacts make a difference.  Read about my journey becoming a DIRECTV Product Ambassador HERE.

This is (Obviously) totally voluntary. No reporting necessary. No compensation received sans the satisfaction of knowing you are doing something nice for our customers. I get it, this challenge is not for everyone. That's ok. I am going to keep going though.  I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility to complete 5,000 customer contacts by the end of the year.  My sons and I have made a commitment to taste the cuisine at EVERY establishment on the DIRECTV Sports Bar Finder app in my zip code by the end of the year, wearing our DIRECTV T-Shirts and thanking these business’ for being our customer.

Will you accept The Challenge?

 For more information about DIRECTV's residential offerings please click HERE. To see how DIRECTV could help your business increase revenue or provide a value added service to your customers or employees please click HERE.  If either of these links don't provide you with the information you are looking for, reach out to me directly and I will personally put you in touch with someone who can help. 

To learn more about John and the work he does for DIRECTV please click HERE

The views expressed in this blog post reflect the experiences and opinions of the author only and are not meant to be any official correspondence from DIRECTV, its Dealers, affiliates or any related entities. Copyright John Mac's Travels 2024

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